New to the Graduate Studies Program? Meet some current students

If you’re a new student in our Graduate Studies Program, welcome!

It’s exciting to know you’ll be contributing to medical research in Canada, leading to better lives for Canadians and people around the world through improved health care and innovation.

PhD students Karan Mediratta, in his fifth year of the microbiology and immunology program, and Kailey Martz, in her fourth year of the same program, share their recipe for success and fulfilment as you navigate the challenges and rewards of your studies. 

What advice do you have for a new student starting in the Graduate Studies Program?

Karan Mediratta: Make use of all supports available within the Faculty of Medicine! The wide range of core facilities within the Faculty do an excellent job of training you and supporting your experimental needs. Whether it be flow cytometry to analyze cell surface markers, imaging live cells over real-time, or testing for mycoplasma contamination, all the cores have played a vital role in teaching many of the technical skills I have acquired today.

Kailey Martz: Don’t leave things until the last minute. You’re going to do a lot of things for the first time, and they will always take longer than expected. It’s inevitable that you will mess up, and that is completely OK—you’re learning; don’t be hard on yourself. Take breaks before you need them; it’s easy to burn out and you need to prioritize your mental health to get through this degree. Don’t forget about your life outside of this—have fun and enjoy it. 

Can you suggest a great place to study? To meet up with friends? For a little alone time to relax?

KM: Roger Guindon Hall (RGN) is full of collaborative spaces to work but also to chill with friends, such as a lounge for graduate students on the third floor or the cafeteria on the first floor. The courtyard and Butterfly Garden behind the building are full of benches and tables if you are looking for some alone time or if you prefer to work with an outdoor breeze.

KaMa: At RGN, there’s a library on the first floor that is a great place to study, as it’s quiet. The cafeteria on the first floor is a good spot to meet friends for lunch when the weather is nice; there are picnic tables outside that you can sit at or walk to the hospital cafeteria (I prefer the food there). There’s a nice lounge on the third floor above the Atrium that has couches and places to lounge.

What do you wish you had known coming into the Faculty?

KM: Over the course of my program I learned that all members of the Faculty of Medicine are eligible for corporate gym membership plans at GoodLife Fitness—knowing about benefits like this would have saved me money early on.

KaMa: The advice I’m sharing here includes most of what I wish I’d known when I first started!

What is your favourite subject, class or professor within your program, and why?

KaMa: Advanced topics in bacteriology was my favourite class; it was the one most closely related to my research, so I found it really interesting.

Can you suggest a great activity to do off campus?

KM: Living in Ottawa has the perk of being able to plan day trips to Gatineau Park for a fun hike around Pink Lake or Willson Carbide Ruins, or for renting a canoe and catching fresh air at Meech Lake. You don’t need to worry about needing a car since the NCC offers shuttles from Ottawa to and from Gatineau Park.

KaMa: Ottawa has a lot of festivals happening in both winter and summer on the weekends, ranging from music to food to markets. I recommend following Ottawa blogs on Instagram to find them and when they are.

Please share one of your favourite memories of your first year at the Faculty.

KM: Despite my first year of graduate studies being during the pandemic, my favourite memories are from all the creative virtual lab competitions organized by the graduate student associations such as GeoGuessr and Among Us.

KaMa: I came here at the beginning of COVID and the Faculty didn’t have anything for students during that time. We do host a lot of student-organized events through our graduate student association—I highly recommend coming; it’s a good way to meet friends early on.

Any last thoughts to share about your experience so far at the Faculty of Medicine?

KM: Graduate studies may seem like a very long tunnel with no end in sight, but the time really does fly! Make sure to take your studies and lab experiments one day at a time, but also take the time for self-care, travel to that destination you’ve been putting off, and make sure to enjoy each moment, because the time isn’t coming back!

KaMa: Grad school is hard, but it is so worth it. Outside of science, you gain many skills and learn so much about yourself that will stick with you for years to come. Enjoy learning and growing!